The present application is directed to modes of powering and controlling a motorized personal transporter.
Dynamically stabilized transporters refer to personal vehicles having a control system that actively maintains the stability of the transporter while the transporter is operating. The control system maintains the stability of the transporter by continuously sensing the orientation of the transporter, determining the corrective action to maintain stability, and commanding the wheel motors to make the corrective action. If the transporter loses the ability to maintain stability, such as through the failure of a component, the rider may experience discomfort at the sudden loss of balance. For some dynamically stabilized transporters, such as those described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,701,965, which may include a wheelchair for transporting a disabled individual down a flight of stairs, it is essential, for the safety of the operator, that the vehicle continue to operate indefinitely after detection of a failed component. For other dynamically stabilized transporters, however, the operator may readily be capable of safely dismounting from the transporter in case of component failure. It is desirable that control modes be provided for such vehicles from which the operator is capable of safely dismounting in case of mishap.
In accordance with preferred embodiments of the present invention, there is provided an intelligent battery pack. The battery pack has a battery container sealed against moisture and a plurality of battery blocks housed within the battery container. Additionally, the battery pack has a plurality of sensors, each of which is for monitoring a characteristic of a distinct battery block. Finally, the battery pack has a processor disposed within the battery container for generating a fault flag for transmission to a circuit external to the battery container on occurrence of a critical fault in at least one of the battery blocks within the battery container.
In accordance with alternate embodiments of the invention, the battery pack may also have an electrical connector in communication with the processor for providing electrical and signal communication between the processor and circuitry exterior to the container. At least one of the plurality of sensors may be a temperature sensor in thermal contact with at least one of the plurality of battery blocks. The battery container may include battery cells additional to the plurality of battery blocks or a second sensor for monitoring a characteristic of the at least one of a battery block, the second sensor also being in signal communication with the connector. The second sensor may be a voltage sensor generating a signal characteristic of the voltage of the battery block.
In accordance with further alternate embodiments of the invention, the processor of the intelligent battery pack of claim 1 may also transmit an identifying characteristic of the battery pack, where the identifying characteristic may be a battery cell type, a number of battery cells, or a serial number.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a rider detector is provided for detecting the presence of a rider on a base of a two-wheeled dynamically balanced transporter. The rider detector has a mat covering the base of the transporter, the mat itself having a mat edge attached to the base, a mat wall having a bottom portion and a top portion, the bottom portion attached to the mat edge, and a mat cover having a top surface and a bottom surface, with the mat cover attached to the mat wall and supported above the base. Finally, the rider detector has a switch mounted on the base and positioned below the bottom surface of the mat cover, the switch changing from a first state to a second state when the mat cover is displaced into contact with the switch. Additionally, a rigid plate may be disposed under the bottom surface of the mat cover.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the invention, a statically unstable motorized transporter is provided that has a base for supporting a rider and a pair of laterally disposed wheels for supporting the base above a surface. The transporter has a motorized drive for driving the pair of wheels, a pitch sensor coupled to the base, the sensor generating a signal indicative of a transporter pitch and a controller for commanding the motorized drive based only on the transporter pitch.
In accordance with other aspects of the invention, a steering device is provided for a motorized vehicle having a handlebar. The steering device has a rotation sensor, such as a potentiometer, coupled to the handlebar for generating a steering command upon rotation, a rotatable grip for imparting rotary motion to the rotation sensor, and a torsional spring for restoring the rotatable grip to a neutral position upon release of the grip. Alternatively, the steering device may have a rotation sensor coupled to a structure fixed with respect to the user support for generating a steering command upon sensing rotation, a flexible shaft coupled to the rotation sensor, a thumb button for imparting bending to the flexible shaft in such a manner as to provide rotation measured by the rotation sensor, and a spring member for providing a force countering bending of the flexible shaft.
In accordance with alternate embodiments of the invention, the steering device has lever with a top surface substantially flush with the handlebar, the lever being movable by a palm of a hand of the user about a pivot axis substantially parallel to the underlying surface and substantially parallel to the direction of travel of the vehicle. The steering device also has a restoring member for opposing motion of the lever from a neutral position and a sensor for sensing motion of the lever from the neutral position and for generating in response thereto a steering command.